Ancient Roman Antiquity in the Italian Landscape and the Reception of Roman History in Modern Japan (1868-1912)

Diplomatic and cultural exchanges between Japan and the Kingdom of Italy began as soon as Japan opened its borders. The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were particularly fruitful for fostering cultural ties, culminating in the growth of ancient Roman history and archaeology as academic disciplines in Japan. This article examines unpublished and little-known sources, including diaries of Japanese travellers and Meiji-era (1868‐1912) writings on ancient Rome. It focuses on Japanese travellers’ impressions of Roman monuments and ruins in Italy and explores how these experiences contributed to the dissemination of ancient Roman studies in Japan

Ancient history · Archaeology · Classical antiquity · Geography · Late Antiquity · Roman history · Chinese history and philosophy · History, Culture, and Diplomacy · Japanese History and Culture · Classics · History